Born at Moscow in 1961, Valeriy Belenikin is a graduate of the Moscow Academy of Fine Arts named after V.I Surikov. The artist’s conception of his work is based upon truth and the mystery of this life. He is in awe of all that takes place in this world. Not only human banality, but all ...

Colombo Music Festival gathers momentum; to be held on 23, 24, 25, and 26 August 2012As Senses and Soul, Colombo Music Festival 2012 to be held from 23 to 26 August gathers momentum behind the scenes, this festival, the first ever of its kind to be held in the region, promises to deliver a superlative ...

Following are some responses from three economists to the guest column by Chandra Jayaratne titled ‘Important issues’ for Sri Lankan legislators, the Executive, policymakers, Central Bankers, economists and thought leaders to ponder over published on 2 February 1) I disagree with the Stiglitz-Krugman line. My diagnosis is that Europe is in this mess for two ...

Colombo International Tea Convention discusses trade and marketing of the beverage By Cheranka Mendis Nestled in the dynamic Asian region with a hot beverage to its name, Sri Lanka could benefit well from becoming a ‘tea hub’ in the future, Commonwealth Secretariat Economic Affairs Division Former Director Indrajit Coomaraswamy said. Addressing the Colombo International Tea ...

The Visible Hand of the government ‘The Visible Hand’ was the title which the famed London-based economics weekly, The Economist, used when it published a special report in its issue on 21 January 2012 on the rise of state capitalism in the modern era. The title has a pun: The governments do not care to ...

Some important issues for Sri Lankan legislators, the Executive, policymakers, Central Bankers, economists and thought leaders to ponder over: Stiglitz believes that the austerity plans in the EU nations, especially by the debt ridden poorer nations of the group is akin to a collective suicide pact and is an act madness promoted and enforced by ...

Etihad Airways is offering complimentary 96-hour tourist visas to guests transiting through the UAE, effective immediately. The visas, ideal for travellers making stopover visits en route to their final destination, are being offered in cooperation with Radisson Blu hotel on Yas Island. The offer is valid for travellers previously eligible for Etihad Airways’ paid-for visa ...

Following is the keynote address delivered by Senior Minister of Human Resources D.E.W. Gunasekera at the South Asian Regional Consultative Seminar on Human Development and Measurement of Human Development Progress, held at the IPS Auditorium from 30-31 January 2012 Public understanding of human development was galvanised by the appearance of the first Human Development Report ...

 Indonesia, Thailand, ‘high up on list’; Vietnam looks cheap  Bottom-up manager favours oil and coal stocks, consumer firms  Says can buy indirectly in Myanmar-related companies BANGKOK (Reuters): Emerging market stocks in Southeast Asia, notably in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, will be good bets this year, Franklin Templeton’s Mark Mobius said, adding that whil...

At a press briefing held adjunct to the inauguration, Sri Lanka Tea Board Promotions Director Hasitha De Alwis noted that Sri Lanka as a high quality producer does not prioritise on volume. “If you look at value, Sri Lanka despite exporting 300 million kilos and becoming a main exporter has earned much more foreign exchange ...

The inauguration of the 20th Session of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Inter-Governmental Group on Tea hosted by Sri Lanka was held last night in Colombo. The sessions proper will begin today and go on until 1 February with the participation of delegates from over 25 countries.   Hosted by Sri Lanka ...

MUMBAI (Reuters): Tea prices in India, the world’s second biggest producer, fell at an auction held last week on a seasonal decline in the quality of leaf on offer, though demand was good from local buyers, dealers and industry officials said on Tuesday. The average price of CTC (crush-tear-curl) tea stood at 116.16 rupees per ...

To focus on skills development, trade, investment, sustainable development and business excellence to sustain GDP growth rate of 8%Following is the address delivered by National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka President Asoka Hettigoda at the NCCSL’s 53rd Annual General Meeting Ayubowan, good evening. Let me extend a warm welcome to all of you to ...

The Sri Lanka Tea Board, the apex authority of the tea industry in Sri Lanka, will be hosting the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 20th Session of the Inter-Governmental Group (IGG) on tea from 30 January to 1 February 2012 in Colombo. At the 19th session held in May 2010 in New Delhi, Sri ...

Sri Lanka businesses and their leaders are optimistic of prospects for 2012 whilst they are also confident the country will progress in the New Year according to key findings of a CEOs survey done by MTI Market Research. “Despite concerns about the global economic outlook, Sri Lankan businesses seem confident that the local economy and ...

By Aruni Amarasinghe The newly-appointed Sri Lankan Envoy to Sweden Oshadhi Alahapperuma presented his Credentials to the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf recently at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Representing the Sweden Government, the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps called at the Sri Lankan Embassy which is located in the heart of Stockholm and ...

How the key industry progressed last yearBy Cheranka Mendis Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, which saw a 30.8% growth over the previous year in 2011, has been driven by key markets India, UK and Germany and is likely to be the foremost contributor in 2012 as well. Named as ‘Visit Sri Lanka year,’ 2011 saw the ...

Reuters: Sri Lanka may be a minnow in the oil world, but a near total reliance on Iranian crude imports means it has more reason than most to find a way to avoid being caught in the clutches of US sanctions. The island’s only refinery – the 50,000 barrels-a-day Sapugaskanda refinery – is almost entirely ...

Sri Lanka will be holding two fresh bilateral trade sessions today in Hyderabad – one with India and the other with the United Arab Emirates. The talks will be held at Andra Pradesh Hyderabad International Convention Centre in Hyderabad. Minister of Industry and Commerce Bathiudeen is currently in Hyderabad as a member of the Sri ...

World famous and leading carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) yesterday emphasised its optimism over prospects in Sri Lanka and renewed its longstanding commitment to promote the destination in addition to continuing with superior service. The reiteration of positivism was when SIA announced its new General Manager for Sri Lanka Aldrin Arumugam succeeding Melvin Ng, who will ...

Another Royal visit took place in Sri Lanka recently with the arrival of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. They were here on a private visit which paved the way for them visit a few tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. Prince Michael was accompanied by Princess Michael during the tour in Sri Lanka. Among the ...

Ends 2011 with record 855,975 arrivalsBy Cheranka Mendis The high-flying tourism industry closed the year with a record 855,975 arrivals, marking a rise of 100,000 from the original target for the year. Statistics revealed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) yesterday noted that the figure reflects a 30.8% increase from the previous year. ...

By Sarath de Alwis Tracing my roots to traditional marketing times in aviation and tourism, I am awed by the enormous potential of modern technologies that bring new frontiers to our doorstep; drop new vistas virtually on our laptops. Then I am appalled to see what unfolds. Global opportunities are whisked away from our grasp ...

The Top 100 Nation Brands have been ranked by Brand Finance plc with the USA, Germany and China topping the report Eurozone crisis affects the Nation Brand vales of Greece, Ireland and Japan who are ranked as the Top 3 biggest Losers  Further chaos in Europe has seen the brand values of Spain, Austria, Italy ...

A survey conducted last week on the health of the Sri Lankan economy revealed that almost 64% said that the Government had done its task but only 43% had said that there had been growth in the economy. Whilst some can say that this data is strange, a similar set of information was shared at ...

Citrus Hikkaduwa, the maiden venture of the Dilith Jayaweera, Varuni Amunugama Fernando and Sarwa Ameresekere trio, opened for guests last week, heralding a new experience in the popular southern coast. Originally the 50-room Amaya Reef, following the takeover and rebranding Citrus Hikkaduwa is now a 97-room modern and up-market resort. The first guests were a ...

Attacked woman reportedly denies rape; blames on being in wrong place at wrong time; Family to be flown in at Sri Lanka Tourism expense for care By Cheranka Mendis The Government yesterday reiterated those responsible for the killing of British tourist and causing injury to his Russian partner will be severely dealt with as per ...

Coonoor, Dec. 29:  The Tea Board fears that India’s exports in calendar 2011 would not reach last year’s level of 193 million kg (mkg). Till October, the latest period for which data is available, exports totalled 149.97 mkg against 163.17 mkg in 2010. This fall of 13.20 mkg marked a decline of 8.09 per cent. ...

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has emerged as a leading market for Indian tea, particularly the CTC variety of black tea, with India exporting around 20 million tonnes of the beverage to the neighbouring country in 2011. The inroads made by Indian tea into Pakistan this year have been helped by a decline in tea production in ...

Special communiqué listing actions taken issued to travel and hotel trade as a confidence building measure Working closely with the defence authorities to ensure greater protection for tourists in possible vulnerable areas Both tourism and law enforcement authorities have thus far successfully handled the unfortunate gruesome attack on a tourist couple in Tangalle over the ...